100 Years, 100 Milestones

1908

The New Jersey Law School (NJLS) opens on October 5 in the Prudential Insurance Building. Founders Richard D. Currier is the first President, Percival Barnard the Dean, and Charles M. Mason a member of the faculty.

In December, the school moves to its own building at 33 East Park Street.

1909

The State Board of Bar Examiners recognizes NJLS as school of “established reputation,” meaning that completion of an 18-month course of study would satisfy half of the three-year clerkship requirement for admission to the Bar.

The first class graduates on June 18.

1910

Laura Mayo Wilson is the first woman to graduate.

1913

The state board of education approves NJLS to grant degrees.

The law school extends its course of study from two to three years.

1914

NJLS Press publishes its first casebook (Cases on Torts by Currier & Bates).

High school graduation becomes a requirement for admission.

1915

Calvin McClelland becomes the first blind professor.

The school publishes the first issue of the New Jersey Law Review.

1918

Elizabeth Blume (Class of 1911) becomes the first woman to defend a client for murder. As Elizabeth Blume-Silverstein, in 1936 she becomes a co-founder with her husband Max Silverstein and others of the World Jewish Congress.

1921

33 East Park Street is razed and replaced by a new building.

1922

NJLS is recognized by the New York State Education Department.

1924-25

A morning program is added to the afternoon and evening programs.

1925

Two years of college work is phased in as a requirement.

1926

Mercer Beasley School of Law (briefly located at 60 Park Place, then on sixth floor of Industrial Office Building at 1060 Broad Street) is founded.

1927

Pre-legal department of NJLS is established at 40 Rector Street.

First edition of the yearbook Legacy and of the student newspaper Barrister are published.

1928

George S. Harris (Class of 1922) becomes Dean and serves until 1936.

1929

First edition of Pandects (Mercer Beasley School of Law yearbook) is published.

Alan Karcher, Class of 1967, becomes Speaker of the New Jersey Assembly.

1983

Right to Choose v. Byrne, 91 N.J. 287, with Professors Nadine Taub and Louis Raveson for the plaintiffs-respondents, establishes that the State of New Jersey must pay for Medicaid abortions for indigent women.

1985

Environmental Law Clinic is established.

1987

Ronald Chen becomes the first Asian-American professor.

1988

Initial decision in Abbott v. Burke. The case was brought by Marilyn Morheuser (Class of 1973) as director of the Education Law Center; opinion was written by Steven LeFelt, ALJ (Class of 1965).

The mall leafletting case, New Jersey Coalition Against War in the Middle East v. J.M.B. Realty Corp., 138 N.J. 326, with Professor Frank Askin representing the ACLU, establishes that the free speech provisions of the State constitution exceed those of the First Amendment.

1995

The Special Education Clinic is established.

1996

Rutgers Law Record becomes a general law review and is published online.